Defendant in Lee Rigby machete murder trial: ‘I love al Qaeda’

A Muslim man on trial for the brutal machete street killing of British soldier Lee Rigby said during testimony in London’s Central Criminal Court on Monday that he not only loved al Qaeda but also considered the terrorist group as close as family.

Mr. Adebolajo — who has admitted to killing Rigby in May during a daytime attack that was videotaped — has defended his actions as a justifiable Islamic war on British people and says it’s not murder. He and fellow defendant Micael Adebowale, 22, are both charged with murder, however.

Mr. Adebolajo said on Monday in court that killing Rigby, who was a drummer in the military, was a protest of Britain’s foreign policy and that his actions were only those of a committed jihadist.

“I love my wife; I love all my children very much,” he said, as AP reported. “It’s very difficult to leave them, but every soldier has to go through this.”

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About the Author

Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.